Electrical terminal prong



June 27,1939. 1 A), DR NG 2,163,779"

' ELECTRICAL {TERMINAL IRONG v H314 515 I f J Patented June' 27, 1939 ELECTRICAL TERMINAL PaonG Arthur M. Draving, Philadelphia, Pa., assig'nor. to Hugh Eby, 1110., Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March 3'4, 1936. Serial No. 70,605 3 Claims. (01. 113-361) My invention relates to' improvements in an electrical terminal prong, blanked and formed from strip sheet metal, with unique means for anchoring it in an apertured insulating base and also to providing means for soldering a current carrying terminal wire thereto.

' I have shown longitudinal seamed terminal prongs of a somewhat similar type in my copending applications bearing Serial Numbers 63,744 filed February 13th, 1936 and 64,481 filed February 18th, 1936, the latter application having maturedto the patent numbered 2,125,713 and dated Aug. 2, 1938.

Heretofore electrical terminal prongs formed from sheet metal and employing a rolled or pressed bead for an abutment shoulder intermediate their ends, have been found to fracture at said beaded point after being moulded or anchored in an insulating base.

One object of my invention is to provide a terminal prong having maximum strength, uniform dimensions and finish, blanked and \formedv from sheet metal.

A further object is to provide a tubular termi-- 2 5 nal prong with lateral integral sidewall extensions ior rigidly anchoring said prong in an insulating ase. I

A further object is to provide abutment shoulders on the sidewall prong ends.

A further object is to provide terminal wire soldering holes intermediate the open endof the grong and the lower face of the abutment shoul- A further object is to provide a terminal prong of the aforesaid type in combination with a vacuum tube base.

A further object is to provide a. terminal prong having'features as set forth in the foregoing ob-. Jects in combination with an insulating base for a plug-in device.

A still further object is to provide an insulating base having suitable apertures to receive and hold blanked and drawn metal foregoing referred to features.

In accordance with'the foregoing and other.

' objects, I have 'devised an improved construction and method of fabricating from sheetmetal, a terminal prong with lateral side wall extensions .50 for anchoring the prong in an apertured insulating base and means for attaching}; terminal wire to said prong, and my invention lies in the structure and features hereinafter described and claimed.

5 Referring to the drawing:

extensions intermediate the prongs with the strip.

.Fi 2 is a fragmentary view in partial section of a punch and die serving toillustrate the method of folding and drawing a blank to form the seamed tubular prong.

Fig. 3 shows a front elevation of a prong.

Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of a prong.

Fig.'5 shows a top elevation of a prong.

Fig. 6 shows -a plan view of an aperture in a fragmentary portion of an insulating base. I Fig. 7 shows a front elevation of a prong mounted in an insulating base showing the peening shoulder forced outwardly for securing a prong in an aperture of the base.

Fig. 1 shows ablank punched from sheet metal Fig. 8 is a fra'gmentary view in side elevation of a prong mounted in an insulating base.

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of a prong mounted in an insulating base and showing holes for fasprong showing a terminal wire inserted and soldered at the tip of same.

Fig. 12 shows a fragmentary section of the tip of a prong showing pierced and turned-back wall of the tip to form means for guiding a terminal wire to the soldering hole in the tip, and also serving as a means to prevent solder from flowing out of the interior of prong.

Fig. 13 shows plan view of an insulating base and prongs staked in same.

Fig. 14 is still another modification of the device illustrated in Fig. 8 showing stiffening ribs in the longitudinal sidewall.

Fig. 15 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 14.

Fig.- 16 is a top elevation of the device shown in ,Fig, 15.

Fig. 1'7 is a top view of an aperture in an insulating base adapted to receive and hold a modified prong of the type shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 16.

While I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing,- and will hereinafter describe, a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to'the particular details illustrated and described, my invention is best set forth in the claims which form a part of my application.

Referring to the drawing, like numerals refer to like parts in figures where they appear.

Iprovide strip ductile sheet metal first blanked g as shown in Fig. 1 the overall length being substantially twice that of the axial length of the prong when finished. The 'width of the blank along the edges I! and it is approximately equal to half'the circumference of the substantially tubular section of the prong. The blank is placed over the recess in the die and driven down into same by a round end punch. By this drawing action the ends of the blank are folded towards each other to form two substantially semi-cir'cular cross sectioned portions and. their longitudinal edges are brought into juxtaposition thereby forming'a seamed tubular round end vprong in which edges l0 and ill of the blank becomes the seams H and il' in Figs. 4 and 5, and the integrai sidewall extensions i2 and 12' to the sides Ill and It form the sidewall tongues it and I4, Figs. 3 and 4, which engage grooves in the side wallsof an aperture in an insulating mounting base shown in Fig. 6, when the prong is staked in same. The lower sides or peening shoulders it and it of said tongues i4 and I4 extends past the lower side of the apertured base to permit riveting or pressing outwardly of said shoulders to cause same to jam into the aperture grooves and to firmly anchor prong in same. 'These sidewall extension tongues can be made any length to suit the depth of the aperture into whichthe prong is staked. They can also be located at any distance intermediate the pro'ngs ends. They as also'co-operate with the aperture sidewall grooves The abutment shoulder functions as the underside of a rivet head as shownat 2! in Fig. 7 and is drawn down on the top surfaceof-the base 22 whenthe lower sideli of the sidewall tongue is riveted or pressed outwardly binding prong secu'rely in said base. Ends II of the blank have a hole punched. in same if so desired to permit the 1 threading therethrough of a current carrying wireprio'r to soldering it to the prong.

inrwhichtheopenendi bottion i1 is omitted, forming theopenend oi the, prong as at 24 and the terminal wire is down thru the pierced asst, 12. The wall of said rounded end is turned to provide means for aforesaid to engage said pierced hole andjali'o providing means to retain molten solder which has flowed into the ,A modification of my sum in Fig. 1b 1 tubular prong tofit '.end 2! which is To produce'a terminal prong withlateral integral extensions to the side walls when formed from sheet metal to a seamed tubular structure.

interior of the prongs end during the soldering operation.

A still further 'modincation of my prong is shown in v and 2B are formed on the prongs longitudinal sidewalls, diametrically opposite and outwardly from each other, and extending from the open terminal .end ofthe prong downwardly, their axial length the same as that of the prongs sidewall extensions and serve as stiffeners for the prong. A fragmentary portion of an insulating base showing an aperture to receive and hold a terminal prongis shown in Fig. 6. The aperture sidewall is grooved as at 30. Said grooves are diametrically opposite each other and extend the entire depth of the aperture sidewall. These grooves permit the passing of the prongs sidewall tongue. A view of a fragmentary portion of an insulating base, Fig. 17, shows an aperture having a plurality of sidewall grooves, 3i and 32, located diametrically opposite to each other thereby being adapted to receive and hold themodified prong shownin Figs. 14, 15 and 16.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. An electrical terminal prong for plug-in devices, constituted by a folded, substantially tubular, member having seamed sidewalls, the said member being drawn and formed from a strip of sheet metal, one end thereof being generally rounded, the other end being open, the member being additionally provided with integral sidewall extensions cut back to form two shoulders, an outer shoulder and an inner shoulder, the inner shoulder being adapted to be bent over for anchorage purposes, said shoulders being disposed intermediate the extreme ends of the member.

2. An electrical terminal prong for a plug-in device or the like comprising a folded, substantially tubular member having seamed sidewalls, drawn and formed from a strip of sheet metal, one end thereof being generally rounded, the other end being open, the member, along the seams thereof, being provided with a plurality of upper radial extensions and a plurality of lower radial extensions integral therewith, said extensions being adjacent the open end, the upper extensions providing a' support, the lower extensions providing peening shoulders. the member at the, open end-thereof having such configuration as to pveirerrnit the attachment thereto of a connector 3. In combination, a generally planar element of insulating material havinga plurality of apertures therethrough; the sidewalls of which are moved, and ineach aperture of whichis disposed an electrical terminal prong generally circular in cross-section, which prong" is provided with axially extending beads corresponding in contour to the sidewalls of the opening in which it is mounted, the said prong being provided with supporting shoulders and with peening shoulders in'alignment therewith, said peening shoulders being so distorted from their normal position as .to lock the prong in place.

ARTHUR H. DRA VING.

Figs. 14, 15 and 16. Beads 21 

